Very quick read, very quirky and entertaining!

Hannah is a bit of an unhinged and delusional female main character. She is very insecure and fixated on pleasing mediocre man. She is deeply unhappy with her life, but she actually never does anything to change it... for example she complains that she never gets a promotion at work, but also describes how she never does any work there. I think she was a very well written character, so well written that her decisions do make sense even if I personally can’t relate or would’ve handled differently.

I wouldn’t say that the twist was predictable from the beginning but at some point you could suspect who the killer was.

The last chapter had an unexpected twist that I didn’t like .. it was kinda cringe, but I guess the female protagonist was never written to be relatable or even likable.

I also think you can read this book as a criticism on society’s obsession with serial killers.

The author teaches English, apparently. God help her pupils. Not once did she give a human being in the story the correct subjective pronoun, and worse was the constant misuse of I (subject) and me (object). I quote (just a couple out of the many): "…between William and I" (Argh!) and ……"picture of William and I" (Argh again!). And whilst she achieved something or another in creative writing, I can only assume she missed the lessons on 'avoiding the unnecessary use of that as a conjunction'.

Despite these and a host of other unforgiveable schoolboy grammatical errors, the story was just about compelling enough, but the characters aren't in the slightest bit engaging or likeable, the main character, Hannah, in particular: a needy and delusional fantasist. It was very easy to guess who the actual perpetrator was within a few pages of his introduction to the story.

All in all, this isn't a book I can recommend.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer really has something for everyone. It's one of those books that spans multiple genres, and I really enjoy that. Don't be fooled by the cutesy cover - this is one crazy ride you are about to embark on.
If you liked None Of This Is True I would encourage you to pick this one up. I think there will be a huge audience who will really enjoy this one! It gives you the edge-of-your-seat content you'd expect from a good thriller but I did think there were parts of it which were a little too obvious. Overall a fun one though and I'm glad I read it!

3.5 stars rounded down for Goodreads.

I really wanted to enjoy this one but it didn't really wow me as much as I hoped it would. Firstly I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. I know that not all thrillers have to have a twist that is completely out of the blue, but I would've appreciated if the book made me doubt what I thought the twist was a bit more. None of the characters are particularly likeable and when the accused serial killer is the one who seems the most mentally stable, that should tell you enough about the amount of therapy everyone else could benefit from. I think Will's letters from prison needed some more depth to them rather than just seeming like texts you'd send to someone when you're in the talking stage. If you want to read a book in the perspective of a woman who makes terrible decisions and would ignore a red flag and would ignore a red flag if it was the size of a house, you might enjoy this book.

This was a good read. When Hannah started writing to the serial killer, it intrigued me to find out what would happen afterwards. I wasn't keen on some of Hannah's decisions and thought she was stupid at times, but it was a good read. Thank you @Netgalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this novel.

It's just so so fun - everything I wanted it to be, outrageous and shocking and completely comfortable with the ickiness of its concept. The twist was obvious, but I didn't mind that at all because I just enjoyed it so much. Exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC

A fun and unique romance novel. This was really entertaining. I was a bit iffy about the relationship at the start but it grew on me. The characters were a bit annoying at times, but the mystery-ish aspect was good. An easy palate cleanser.

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" is a fascinating, yet flawed novel. The main character, Hannah, is a neurotic and self-destructive individual with questionable decision-making skills. The plot is predictable, and the twist is easily guessable. However, the book is engrossing, like a train wreck that you can't look away from. It explores the mind of a woman who falls in love with a serial killer, which is both disturbing and intriguing. The characters are dysfunctional and unlikable, but the book is still a page-turner. Overall, it's a mixed bag, but worth reading if you're interested in a dark and twisted story.

As for the rating, I'd say 3 out of 5 stars. The book's ability to captivate the reader despite its flaws is notable, but the predictable plot and unlikable characters prevent it from being a higher-rated read.

This was an intriguing, darkly humorous exploration of obsession and love in unexpected places. The writing styke is sharp, with moments that are both chilling and surprisingly witty. However, while the concept is original, the plot sometimes feels disjointed, and certain characters could have been more developed. Overall, it's a thought-provoking read, but it may leave some readers wanting more depth. A solid book for fans of unconventional narratives

📖 NetGalley Review

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
Orion, 4th July 2024

This drew me in from the very first page. Our main character, Hannah, works in a low-paid job, which makes her miserable. She is self-absorbed, illogical, and a marvellous, fun character to read.

Hannah's bff has dumped her for a man, so she's bored and joins an online crime forum, throwing her all into trying to solve a string of murders. When William, a handsome, wealthy lawyer is arrested, Hannah starts writing to him. Her fixation with William quickly becomes an obsession, leading to all kinds of trouble.

The seamless writing in this unusual novel made it flow with ease. It was a real joy to read, and the ending completely threw me! Readers of thrillers and romance books alike will find plenty to enjoy with this page-turner.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Orion and Tasha Coryell for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

3.5 stars. I really liked the first 80ish % of this book, the MC was a bit strange but it’s a book about falling in love with a serial killer so that’s to be expected 😂. I liked the twist all was going well… then the last part was just ridiculous and it all ended up falling flat for me

"Love Letters to a Serial Killer" by Tasha Coryell is a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of obsession, love, and the darker facets of human nature. The novel delves into the complexities of a relationship that blurs the lines between love and madness, as the protagonist finds herself drawn to a notorious serial killer. Coryell's writing is both lyrical and chilling, creating a gripping atmosphere that keeps readers on edge. The character development is rich, allowing us to understand the motivations and turmoil of both the lover and the beloved. This book is not just a tale of crime; it's a deep dive into the psychology of love and the lengths to which one might go for it. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers, "Love Letters to a Serial Killer" will leave you questioning the nature of affection and the boundaries of morality.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so much better than I was expecting. If you haven’t read it yet, add it to your list immediately!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

18+

This was an exceptionally clever book. Despite that fact it was a very easy read and I managed to read it in two sittings. We have a woman who is unhappy at her job and with her love and so she starts to follow a serial killers case closely. She becomes obsessive about finding him and raising awareness for the victims and then, in a drunken act, writes him an angry letter. He responds and thus they begin to communicate. The FMC is incredibly unlikable, feeling both sorry for herself and like she is better than all the other people around her in equal parts. She thinks she should have been promoted, yet does not do her job. There is also a huge unreliable narrator element, which I adore. I loved picking through the story, trying to figure out what was true and what was just a reflection of the FMC. The unlikability of the FMC was definitely a driving force in the story but still felt purposeful enough that it was not irritating. I would have loved to have seen this book written from both perspectives as I would have liked to see how the man the FMC was communicating with felt about the crimes he was accused of and the way he felt about the FMC, not the FMC's perspective of how he felt for her.

I really enjoyed reading this.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is about a woman who has pretty much no love life, so she starts writing letters to a man accused of murdering several women, whose disappearances the MC paid close attention to and talked to other people about on an online forum. This description, the title and the first chapter of the book intrigues me, but sadly I DNFed this book at 20%. I’ve been trying to read it for almost two months now and I just can’t get into it. It’s too slow-paced for me with not much action, mainly just narration. I think a reader who likes a slower paced book where the MC tells you everything would like this book, but after giving it a good go, it ended up not being for me.

Twisty and captivating. This read is not what I expected but I enjoyed it. Hannah is a fun character and very sassy and likeable.

found this to be a slow burn book that wraps up very quickly
A woman who somehow becomes obsessed with a serial killer since her whole life seems to be in shambles she needs to find something to keep her going and keep things interesting.
I found myself wondering what has gotten into Hanna’s head when she writes to a man in jail. She wraps her life up in his trial. There isn’t really a twist you kind of wonder about the ending.
It was an easy but slow read. If you like books about serial killers this might be a book for you. I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller or anything like that. Almost a satire if anything. But worth a shot

I was really intrigued by this premise. I’m aware of the conversations about our obsession with serial killers and I enjoyed seeing this explored in this book in what I thought was a considered but still entertaining way. A fun, wry and unputdownable satirical contemporary novel that fans of true crime will love!

Laugh out loud funny, and scarily nail biting in one go.

Great characters and fantastic plot.

Proper belly laughs were had until a dramatic conclusion.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell in return for my honest review.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and when I read the bio I thought I’d really enjoy it. The story line is an interesting one and had me intrigued but unfortunately I really didn’t like the main character Hannah and found it really difficult to have any sympathy for her, there is however a few good twists to the story so overall an ok read.